Nicholas Marque’s Post

Competition. In business is not merely a microcosm of market dynamics but a reflection of broader global paradigms and worldviews. At its core, competition embodies the fundamental principles of evolution and survival, echoing the Darwinian notion of "survival of the fittest." - a concept that I talk a lot about in my Keynote addresses on Intrapreneurship and Innovation. At its best, competition fosters innovation, drives progress, and empowers consumers through choice and diversity. #ElonMusk,has spoken about the benefits of competition on multiple occasions. One notable quote from him that reflects this sentiment is: "Competition makes you better. Realizing that someone else is working 24 hours a day to take you out of business, it makes you work even harder." This quote underscores the belief that competition serves as a driving force for improvement and innovation. Knowing that there are others striving to be better, encourages individuals and companies to push their limits, innovate, and continuously seek ways to stay ahead in the market. #Taj is my 9 year old son - this past week, we had playoffs. He dropped a 3 point shot which are really hard make, particularly for his age. To his delight and surprise when he made the shot, he busted out in a dance. My only reaction was to laugh really hard out loud. The coaches reaction on the flipside was telling him NOT to dance - it makes others feel bad. It made me think. When one does well, why are we diminishing ourselves in fear that others may feel bad about it? Is this the right thing to do? Is this the right message to be sending? I have always been of the mind that competition can be healthy and there is room for co-opetition. In a healthy competitive market businesses and individuals compete in a market that is fair, ethical, and beneficial. With co-opetition competitors collaborate or cooperate with each other on certain aspects of their business while still competing in other areas. There is room for everyone to thrive in their own way. #Taj is the first kid to offer a hand up when his competitor is injured or down. Then continues to play hard. My message to him was to dance away, stay focused, kind, humble - we have it wrong. Welcome your thoughts on this - #competition #co-opetition #humble #kind #healthycompetition

The transformation of a failing snack company purchased for $250K into a business generating $103M annually is a testament to the power of vision, adaptability, and recognizing value where others see failure. At its core, this story illustrates that success is not merely about financial investment but about the ability to see untapped potential in overlooked opportunities. It’s a reminder that businesses, like people, can reinvent themselves with the right leadership and strategy. The lesson here is profound: true growth comes from understanding that failure is not an endpoint, but a starting point for innovation and resilience. In a world that often rewards quick wins, this journey reflects the deeper truth that long-term success is built on perseverance, bold decisions, and an unwavering belief in the possibilities beyond the present challenges.

Bootstrapping a CPG business can feel like getting knocked down by Mike Tyson daily (don't get me started on the staged fight). It’s certainly not the right path for everyone in the CPG space. However, I’ve noticed several key traits among those who are successfully navigating this challenging journey as bootstrapped CPG founders: 1. Excel at problem-solving. 2. Possess an exceptional work ethic. 3. Have thick skin, and rejection doesn't discourage you. 4. Willing to grow your business gradually. 5. Frugal/minimal/figured out how to do more with less. 6. Strong belief in your mission and your product. 7. Open to feedback and willing to adapt based on market needs. 8. Prioritize consumers over retailers. 9. DTC or B2B heavy (removing as many middle layers as possible) 10. Strong family support, friends and hobbies outside of work #bootstrapped

Consistency. - Here’s A Look Inside My Monthly CEO Letter - As evidenced in Atomic Habits, it can be the little things, done with consistency over time, that can have a massive, compounded impact on your company. At my prior company, QuickBox, there were many things we consistently did well (and they still do). One of those in particular I believe contributed to the incredible relationship we held with our employees was the CEO Letter. For the five years I held the CEO position, without fail, I sent out (and delivered aloud to hundreds of employees) a monthly letter to all our employees. This small, consistent act might seem minor on the surface, but its impact was profound. The format was always the same: -> Each letter starts on a positive note,  -> sharing good news to set an uplifting tone. Then, we dove into the heart of our performance -> a scorecard for the ONE critical metric that mirrors our company's health and performance. This wasn't just about numbers; it was about understanding where we stand and how we can grow; and, how everyone played a role in this number. But, what truly breathed life into these letters were the stories. -> Stories that echo our values, celebrate our culture, and give loud, public recognition to those nominated by their managers. This wasn't just acknowledgment; it was a testament to the extraordinary contributions made across the board. Why do I share this? Because it underscores the power of doing the small things consistently and well. These letters helped us build and maintain a shared consciousness and singular focus across the organization. It was a constant reminder that in the whirlwind of business, taking the time to connect, reflect, and recognize is invaluable. Let's not underestimate the compound effect of small, consistent actions that reinforce not just our company’s performance, but equally important, our norms and values. They are, my friend, the bedrock upon which great cultures and companies are built. ----- Here's the format of my CEO monthly letter. Free feel to borrow it, modify it, or use your own. Curious if you have your own format you'd care to share. #Leadership #Consistency #CorporateCulture #EmployeeRecognition #Entrepreneurship #leadership #LeanStartups #scalingup #ecommerce #cpg 

Most people have an idol in life, someone they admire from a distance, and then they get the opportunity to meet them. With Jim Francis, it was the other way around for me. From the very first moment he stepped on stage, I was instantly drawn in. I couldn’t help but think, Who is this guy? He is absolutely magical. When I was called out of the room for a meeting during his talk, I felt a wave of disappointment I just wanted to stay and absorb everything he was sharing. But I was reassured that I’d have many more opportunities to learn from him. Jim is unlike anyone I’ve ever met. His depth of knowledge, wisdom, and experience is truly unmatched. Over time, I’ve learned so much from him business strategies, the power of mindset, and even the art of speaking on stage. Jim has also shown me the true meaning of Kaizen continuous improvement. It’s a principle I now strongly live by 🙏🏽 Having calls with Jim every Tuesday keeps me performing at my mental peak, and I can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done for me so far. And the best part? The journey has only just begun. If you don’t know Jim Francis yet, you’re missing out on the keys to life. Thank you, Jim I’m so grateful for your mentorship, guidance, and friendship. Sharing our love for Starbucks and Porsches makes it even better! I look forward to our call tonight! Want to know how Jim’s reshaping the future of business? Explore more at jimfrancis.com. 🌍 #Mentorship #Leadership #PersonalGrowth #BusinessStrategy #MindsetMatters #Kaizen #ContinuousImprovement #PeakPerformance #Entrepreneurship #SuccessJourney #PublicSpeaking #StarbucksLovers  #Starbucks #PorschePassion #Porsche #RealEstate #OffMarket #Investment #HomeleeInvestments #Financialee

For the past 10 years, I've been going a million miles an hour. I was 10 weeks pregnant when I was offered a new role as Chief of Staff for a $10 million organization—and honestly, I was terrified. 😅 But it was an incredible opportunity to stretch and grow my leadership capacity. A few years later, I launched my own apparel company—without connections, money, or experience (more on that adventure another day 😉). I ran that company for 5 years, giving it my all. After that, I joined the team at Okay, Perfect as COO, leading operations and launching their second company, RecipeKick (a product I’m incredibly proud of). 🍳✨ And somewhere in between, I moved my family to France, learned a new language, and navigated the administrative maze that is the French government. 🇫🇷 These experiences have made me resilient, flexible, strategic—and, to be honest, a damn good leader. 💪 As someone who dives into everything with gusto (see above!), it’s rare for me to consciously slow down. But now, I’m taking this time to be intentional about my next move. I've wrapped up my role with RecipeKick and am exploring what type of organization I want to contribute to next, where I can truly make an impact. 🌱 In the meantime, I’m working in a fractional capacity as a Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff for small businesses and startups. 💼✨ If you know of any exciting opportunities or companies that might be a great match, let’s connect! 🤝 Here’s to the next chapter. 🌟 #fractionalCOO #chiefofstaff #impact #slowdown

In the early days after being recruited to lead my first business, I loved how my ideas & plans were well-received by my team, UNTIL... I realized it was a problem. A HUGE problem. Here I was running a well-established North American business with 26 people on the team. There was so much upside potential & opportunity. And we had a thin management team who were respectful and agreeable given I was the "new" guy. And therein lies the problem. There were 2 things I realized I had to do: 1) Work hard at building a "safe" environment where my team can be objective, critical and debate important decisions - which took time, consistency and mutual trust. 2) Diversify the "voices" involved in major decisions without adding expensive headcount or layers. So I joined a CEO peer group + hired a business coach who could poke holes & identify new angles in my decision-making process. And that's when I made the call to CEO Global Network The rest is history. We built a strong team, company culture, executed well and grew the business for 9 consecutive years + exited twice. One decision at a time. #businessowners #CEO #Founders #entrepreneurship #leadership

What to do when your role has been replaced, but you are still in the team. When I started my first job after my MBA I was supposed to report directly to the President. But the HR quietly took me aside and asked me to go to another VP instead. It seems that the President had already been replaced by the VP but they hadn't announced it publicly. Obviously it was done to allow the existing President to find another job and make it look like he had moved on by himself. Till the point he resigned he conducted himself as if he was still President, but in reality all the important business happened under the leadership of the VP. This is all too common in leadership roles. Transitions are not always smooth, and a lot depends on how they are managed. Especially in startups, I see that founders often lack the emotional maturity to deal with this professionally. But what would you do if you found yourselves in such a position. Even if you have performed in the past, the management might decide on a new direction and give your role to somebody else, in most cases making you report to that person. I can only tell you what I did when I found my role replaced by another person in US as the direction of the company had changed. It may help others in this situation... 1. Stay Professional but Seek Clarity - The decision has been made and there is no point unleashing your direct reportees to create an outrage over this. Try to get clarity on the reasons for this change so that you are aware. 2. Build Relationships with the Leader - This is much harder if this person was already in the team and even harder if he had reported to you. But there is no other way - look to support the leader to take over your role effectively. 3. Stay engaged - This is not the time to check out and disengage. On the contrary this may even force the hand of the management to fire you, which would not be a good look. Stay engaged till the point you leave. 4. Plan an exit asap - I will not mince my words here. The replacement is a sign that the company's needs has outgrown your capabilities. Instead of beating yourselves up or creating a ruckus, plan an exit as soon as possible. This is important as staying too long can only hurt your confidence. And to be honest you are not defined by the role, your value is defined only by your self worth. And preserving that should be your biggest priority.

A week ago, someone might have told you they hate pineapple on a pizza and want to get rid of it. But as soon as you hire someone that loves pineapple, they suddenly want to keep on eating all of it. What am I talking about? Scaling as a company. At the beginning, as you start to scale, everyone eats as much pizza as they can, despite loving the topping or not, because they’re all part of building something important. At one point it gets overwhelmed. There’s too much work — too much pizza. You’re not sure you can eat it all yourself. Soon, you decide you need help. So you start to add people. That’s when something funny happens on a personal level and to teams: People get nervous. “Wait, is that new person taking my job? What if they don’t do it the right way? What if they’re better than me at it? What do I do now?” Truth is if you and the company want to grow, you have to give away your job every couple months. The best way to manage scaling (and one of the secrets to succeeding in a rapidly growing company) is to ignore those emotions, and find a pizza with the topping you like. Chances are if you pick your head up and look around, there’s another pizza right next to you waiting to be eaten. Adding people doesn’t mean there’s less work for the people that are already there. It means that the entire company can do more. #scalingup #growth #business #scaleups #leadership

New Post: From Hire to Hero — 4 Strategies for Onboarding Senior Executives - https://lnkd.in/gkqA-8y3 - Setting up high-level hires for success requires forethought, the right environment and a flexible runway. - #news #business #world #jobs #school #passion